Grain dump and elevator.



PATENTED APR. 24, 1906* G. S. UPHAM.

GRAIN DUMP AND ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED APR. 24, 1906 C. S. UPHAMA GRAIN DUMP AND ELEVATOR.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG.29, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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C. S. UPHAM.

GRAIN DUMP AND ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

uoawtoz as Zf 07zaz10 Witnuwa No. 818,926. PATENTED APR. 24, 1906. G. S.UPHAM.

GRAIN DUMP AND ELEVATOR. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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GRAIN DUMP AND ELEVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed August 29,1904. Serial No. 222,644.

To (1 1071/0711, it may concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. UPHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Odell, in the county of Livingston and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Impr )vements in Grain Dumps andEleva tors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention embodies improvements in portable devices for unloadinggrain from wagons and involves dumping means for the wagon and means forelevating the grain so as to deposit the same in a suitable granary,bin, hopper, or the like.

The invention resides particularly in the special operating meansutilized for raising and lowering the wagon in the dumping operation andin a special construction of re ceiving-trough for the grain as the sameis dumped from the wagon preparatory to being elevated, as abovementioned.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention aresusceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a perspective view of a dump and elevator embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the invention. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalvertical sectional view taken about on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on the line 4 i of Fig. 2.Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view, partially broken away, takenabout on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a broken perspective viewshowing the end of the platform adjacent the elevator and conveyer,bringing out more clearly the exact construction of the trough locatedat this part of the device.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The device consists, essentially, of a platform 1 mounted upon wheels tofacilitate movement of the device from one place to another, and thisplatform 1 is provided with inclined approaches 2 at opposite ends, sothat the wagon from which the grain is to be dumped may be readilydriven upon the platform preparatory to the dumping operation. Theplatform 1 is provided at one end with a trough 3, transverselydisposed, and a transversely-operating conveyer 4 is located in thetrough 3, said conveyer being of any approved construction andcomprising, preferably, an endless apron adapted to carry the graindumped into the trough toward one end of the latter, so as to bereceived upon the elevator 5, located at said end. The elevator 5 isalso of any conventional type adapted for the purposes of the inyention,being designed to hoist grain to deposit the same in a suit ablereceptacle, as heretofore mentioned. The conveyer a inclines upwardly atone end, as shown at 6, the inclined end operating in a box 7 at one endof the trough 3, and this box 7 is provided with removable sides 8,which admit of ready detachment, so that the elevator 5 may extendeither longitui'linally or laterally from the platform 1, according asis necessary and dependent upon the location of the receptacle intowhich the grain is to be deposited. The elevator 5 is preferably of theendless-belt type, having flights upon which the grain is received andcarried upwardly.

The platform is provided longitudinally thereof with dump-sills 9, whichare pivoted at points between their ends in slots 10, formed in theplatform. The sills 9 are preferably mounted upon stub-shafts 11,supported in bearings 12, provided at the sides of the slots 10, inwhich the respective sills operate. The bearings 12 are open at theirupper ends, so that should the platform settle, because of the softnessof the ground, the ends of the sills which lower in the pivotal movementthereof will not be broken off by striking the ground, since the sillswill raise their bearings in a manner which will be. readilycomprehended. The means for operating the conveycr, elevator, and sillsconsists of a longitudinal shaft 13, mounted in suitable bearings in theplatform and preferably adjacent one side thereof. The shaft 13 isactuated from any suitable source of power and motion may becommunicated thereto by a sweep or other horse power located adjacentthe platform. The transverse shaft 14 is also mounted upon the platform1, and this shaft is provided with drums 15, adjacent the ends thereof,upon which wind hoisting ropes or cables 16. The cables 16 are connectedat one end with the sills 9 the opposite end of each cable being adaptedto wind upon the drum adjacent when the shaft 14 is actuated. The cablesor ropes 16 pass over pulleys 17, mounted in uprights 18, which composeframes located upon opposite sides of the platform 1 and adjacentcorresponding ends of the sills 9. The ropes 16 are directly connectedwith a transverse bar 19, secured to the ends of the sills 9 Which areto be elevated in the dumping operation. The sills 9 normally rest in aposition in which the upper sides thereof remain about flush with theupper side of the platform 1, and these sills are tilted upon theirpivots in dumping the wagon after the same has been driven upon theplatform. Motion is transmitted from the longitudinal shaft 13 to thetransverse shaft 14 bysuitable clutch mechanism arranged upon the shaft13. Keyed to the shaft 13, adjacent one of the frames at one end of saidplatform 1, is a clutch-sleeve 20, slidable upon the shaft 13 andprovided between opposite gears 21 and 22. The gears 21 and 22 areloosely mounted upon the shaft 13, and the gear 21 is provided with aworm-sleeve 23, which engages a gear-wheel 24, mounted upon the shaft14. The clutch-sleeve 20 is adapted to clutch either of the gears 21 and22 for rotation of the shaft 13 or to remain in a position out ofcooperation with either of said gears; Arranged in mesh with both gears21 and 22 and mounted upon a short shaft projected from the adjacentside of the platform 1 is a double gear 25, having inner and outer setsof teeth, the outermost set of teeth being in mesh with the gear 21 andthe inner teeth in meshing relation with the gear 22. The clutch-sleeve20 is operated by a shifter-bar 26, pivoted to one of the adjacentuprights 18, the lower end of the bar 26 engaging the sleeve 20, theupper end of said bar being connected with a main operating-lever 27 bymeans of a connecting-rod 28. The lever 27 is arranged at the oppositeend of the platform and at a point at which the operator usually standsin controlling the operation of the device. The gear 25 is utilized soas to secure differential motion or speed of the transverse shaft 14 andis of great advantage,

since the wagon when driven upon the sills 9 can be dumped by gradualelevation of the sills 9, and as soon as the wagon has been dumped saidsills may be lowered at a greater speed in order to save time. In otherwords, when the clutch-sleeve 20 is operated so as to engage the gear 21motion is communicated from the shaft 13 directly to the shaft 14through the parts 23 and 24, above described, and the cables 16 arewound upon the drums 15, thus raising the sills 9 at cor responding endsto effect dumping of the wagon. In lowering the sills 9 to their norrnalposition the sleeve 20 is thrown into clutch with the gear 22, and thisgear being in mesh with the double gear 25 transmits motion to the gear21 through the said gear 25. The movement of the shaft 14 is thusreversed, and because of the arrangement of the teeth upon the gear 25the speed of the shaft 14 is increased, so that the cables or ropes 16are unwound from their respective drums in less time than preyiouslynecessary in winding said cables thereon. It is designed toautomatically unclutch the sleeve 20 from the gears 21 and 22 when thesills 9 reach the limit of their upward or downward movement in thedumping oper ation, and for 'this purpose a movable bar 29 is mountedupon an upright 18, adjacent the bar 26, and this bar 29 is connected atits lower end with an arm 30, projected from the upper portion of saidpart 26. An engaging member 31 .is adjustably mounted upon the bar 29,

being adapted for vertical movement thereon, and this member 31 will bestruck by an arm 32, projected from the bar 19, which connects the sills9 when the said sills reach the limit of their upward movement. When thearm 32 strikes the members 31, as above described, the movable bar 29will be actuated upwardly, and since this bar 29 is connected with theshifter-bar 26 the latter will be given a pivotal movement by which theclutch-sleeve 26 will be thrown out of clutch with the gear 21, thelatter being actuated of course in elevating or raising the ends of thesills 9. As the sills lower to their normal positions when the sleeve 20is in clutch with the gear 22, the downward movement of the arm 32 willcause the latter to strike the arm 30, projected from the shifter-bar,and the engagement of these parts will effect a pivotal movement of theshipper-bar in a direction opposite to that caused by engagement of theparts 31 and 32, thereby throwing the sleeve 20 out of clutch with thegear 22 and stopping the motion of the drums 15.

At one end of the platform 1 and adjacent the extremities of the sills 9is located a chockbar 33, attached to the platform and preferablycomprising one of the planks of the platform. The bar 33 normally restsflush with the upper side of the platform 1, being adapted by pivotalmovement to be thrown backward against inclined blocks 34, so as to besupported by the latter in operative position to prevent movement of theWagon when inclined in dumping position. The chock-bar 33 has a peculiarcooperation in the general operation of my invention, said bar beingdesigned to lock the sills 9 from movement as the wagon is driventhereon, and at the same time this 'member 33 cooperates with the mainoperating mechanism by which the sills are actuated, so that thisoperating mechanism cannot be thrown into action to raise the sills upontheir pivots until said chock-bar has itself been placed in operativeposition as regards the rear wheels of the wagon. Pivoted in the slots10, in which IIO the sills 9 operate, and at the ends of these slots, inwhich corresponding ends of the sills lower in the dumping operation,are mounted lock members 35, the latter being pivoted to transverse bars36, extending across the slots 10. The lock members 35 are connectedwith the chock-bar 33 by connecting-rods 37, so that a pivotal movementof the chock-bar will impart a corresponding pivotal movement of thelock members and throw the lat ter into and out of cooperation with thesills 9. Thus when the chock-bar is flush with the top of the platformas the wagon is driven thereon the lock members 35 engage the under sideof the adjacent ends of the sills 9, and being connected with thechock-bar said lock members rigidly support the ends of the sills fromany downward movement. The wagon having been driven upon the platform,the bar 33 is actuated, and this throws the lock members 35 rearwardlyfrom beneath the ends of the sills 9, thereby admitting of free pivotalmovement of the sills as soon as the operating mechanism is thrown intogear. One end of the chock-bar is cut away, as shown most clearly inFig. 2, the cut-away portion receiving the lower extremity of the mainoperating-lever 27, so that the chockbar is thereby adapted to engagethe lever 27 and prevent pivotal movement of this lever, necessary toeffect operation of the dumping mechanism. In other words, when thechock-bar 33 is closed down upon the platform 1 it is impossible for theoperator to start the dumping mechanism, and this obviates alllikelihood of displacement of the wagon from the platform, which mayhappen due to the forgetfulness of the operator when previously liftingthe chock-bar before raising the wagon. The sills also cannot beunlocked until the chock-bar 33 is lifted previous to starting thedumping mechanism.

The trough 3 is so disposed as to receive the grain as it is dumped fromthe wagon, and this trough is normally closed by wings 38 and 39. thelatter being pivoted to opposite sides of the trough, being adapted tofold thereover, so as to form a closure therefor. The wings 3S and 39are designed to deflect the grain into the trough as the same isdelivered from the wagon, and said wings virtually form part of thesurface of the platform, in that when closed down upon the trough theyadmit of travel of the wagon thereover, the wing 38 resting flush withthe platform when in closed position. The said wing 33 is provided witha flange 40, which overlaps the side of the trough 3 opposite that towhich said wing is pivoted. In order that the wings 38 and 39 may besimultaneously operated so as to throw the same upwardly preparatory toreceiving the grain delivered to the conveyer 4, said wings areconnected by means of a link 41 or similar device, the latter beingsecured to end plates 42 and 43, which are attached to the respectivewings 39 and 38. The link 41 has a slidable or loose connection with thewing 39 in order that the wing 38 may be moved upwardly a certaindistance before the wing 39 is actuated thereby. The connection betweenthe wings 38 and 39 consists of a pin 44, received by slot 45 in thelink 41. The plates 43 and form a closure for the end of the trough 3opposite to that at which the elevator 5 is located, and the outer ormain wing 38 is adapted to be operated by any suitable means, such as alever or like device.

The conveyor 4 is operated by power derived from the main shaft 13, and,as shown in Fig. 6, the end of the shaft 13 adjacent the elevator 5 isprovided with a gear 46, connected by a sprocket chain or beltconnection 47 with a second gear 43, mounted upon a shaft 49, aboutwhich the conveyor passes and which serves to transmit motion to saidconveyer. The elevator also is operably connected with the main shaft,and when said elevator extends laterally from the plat form 1 (see Fig.2 of the drawings) power is preferably derived from a gear 46, (shown indotted lines in Fig. 6 and full lines in Fig. 2,) disposed upon theshaft 49, which runs the conveyor, or this gear may be located upon theend of the shaft 13 adjacent the gear 46 mentioned above. The latter construction is illustrated, and the gear 46 is connected by a sprocketchain to the lower shaft 56, about which the lower end of theelevator-belt passes, a suitable sprocketgoar 57 being also carried bythe last-mentlODBil shaft. hen the elevator 5 is arranged longitudinallyof or parallel with the platform 1, (the arrangement shown in Fig. 1,)motion is preferably transmitted thereto by means of a short shaft 50,projecting from one side of the platform 1,adjacent the box 7 at the endof the trough 3. The shaft 50 is driven by a gear 51 in mesh withoppositelydisposed gears 52, carried by the main shaft 13 aforesaid. Thegears 52 are mounted loosely upon the shaft 13, and a clutchsleeve 53 ismovable between the gears 52 by lever 53, so as to communicate motion toeither one of the latter from the shaft 13. The shaft 50 is reverselyrotatable by the gears 52, dependent upon the position of theclutch-sleeve 53, at the will of the operator. When the elevator 5extends from one end of the platform 1 lengthwise thereof, same is runby motion transmitted to the shaft 50 by one of the gears 52, and whenthe elevator is located in the opposite direction lengthwise of theplatform same will be operated by the other of the gears 52 in a mannerreadily apparent. A suitable belt connection 54 is utilized to transmitmotion from the shaft 50 to the elevator. From the foregoing it will benoted that all the moving parts of the device are operable by the mainshaft 13, and thus &

- 14 by the above, and the ropes 16, winding upon the drums 15, raisethe sills 9 and dump or tilt the wagon. The grain is received from thewagon by the trough 3 and is carried off by the conveyer 4 and theelevator 5. The upward movement of the sills 9 automatically throws theclutchsleeve 20 out of clutch with the gear 21, the parts 32 and 31cooperating in accomplishing this actionv The wagon having been dumped,the clutchsleeve 20 is thrown into gear with the gear 22 and increasedmotion is transmitted to the shaft 14 in reverse direction, so as tounwind the ropes 16 and quickly lower the sills 9. When the sills reachthe limit of their lowering movement, the part 32 strikes the arm 30 andunclutches the sleeve 20 from the gear 22.

Asuitable hood is carried by the upper end of the elevator, beingadjustable for obvious purposes, and a spout extends from the hood so asto readily direct the grain from the elevator into an adjacent elevatoror the like.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In adevice of the class described, the combination of a platform, dump-sillsmounted thereon, means for operating the sills, a lock devicecooperating with the sills to prevent movement thereof, and a chock-barfor preventing operation of the sill actuating mechanism until the sillshave been unlocked.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a platform,dump-sills mounted thereon, means for operating the sills a lock deviceengaging the sills, a chock-bar cooperating with the sill-actuatingmeans, and connecting means between the chock-bar and lock deviceaforesaid, whereby said chock-bar must be engaged with the wagonwheelsbeforeioperation of the sills.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a platform,dump-sills mounted thereon, means for operating the sills, a lock deviceengaging the sills, an operating device governing the actuation of thesills, and a chock-bar engaging the operating device and operablyconnected with the lock device.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a platform,dump-sills mounted thereon, means for operating the sills,

lock members en aging the sills to prevent movement thereo a mainoperating-lever for actuating the sills, a chock-bar engaging saidlever, and connections between the chockbar and the lock members.

5. In a device of'the class described, the combination of a platform,sills pivoted to said platform, a power-shaft, a Windlass for raisingand lowering the sills operated by the I power-shaft, spaced gears looseupon the power-shaft and adapted to actuate the windlass, aclutch-sleeve for throwing said gears into and out of action, agear-wheel having sets of teeth arranged at different gear diameter,said teeth being in meshing relation to the first-mentioned spacedgears, and means for operating the clutch-sleeve.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a platform,sills pivoted to said platform, a power-shaft, a Windlass for raisingand lowering the sills operated by the power-shaft, spaced gears looseupon the power-shaft and adapted to actuate the windlass, aclutch-sleeve for throwing said gear into and out of action, ashifter-bar operating the clutch-sleeve, a movable bar connected withthe shifter-bar, an engaging member projected from said movable bar, andan arm operated by the sills and adapted to engage the engaging memberaforesaid and the shifter-bar when said sills reach the limit of theirupward and downward movement, respectively.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a platform,dumping mechanism carried by the platform, a trough adj acent one end ofthe platform, and a closure for said trough composed of wings movablymounted at opposite sides thereof.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a platform,dumping mechanism carried by the platform, a trough adjacent one end ofthe platform, a closure for said trough composed of wings movablymounted at opposite sides thereof, and means for actuating the wingssimultaneously in opening the trough.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a platform,dumping mechanism carried by the platform, a trough adjacent one end ofthe platform, a closure for said trough composed of wings movablymounted at opposite sides thereof, end plates carried by the wings andclosing one end thereof, and a pin-and-slot connection between saidplates.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. UPHAM.

